Cars, Key Fobs Dead in Alberta Town

[Uphill_Both_Ways]

It sounds like an EMP event, except it doesn't stop and is restricted to a store's parking lot.

No word on what happens to the cars. Perhaps they're towed out of range, unless they'll start with fob workarounds. The story is unclear.

 

[MichiganMadMan]

If I were looking, I'd grab some data in the frequency range of the keyless entry systems. I bet there is a device that is transmitting what looks like a "wake up" message to body controllers. This means they are always awake and evaluating the signals, drawing current to do so.

The same signal, if it's strong enough, will disrupt the messages to and from the key fobs.

When I was working on TMPS, we accidentally build a development module with 10X the normal signal strength. I could deafen all the cars with TPMS within 200 feet of the transmitter and turn on their TPMS lights. I wonder if a similar thing is happening there.

Edit: I had a look and found that RKE/RKI works on 315 MHz and 433 MHz, just like TPMS does.

 

[Astro14]

Noise jamming....

 

[benjy]

TOOOO much technology in todays vehicles, plain + simple!! keyless entry cars can be started by others even when the key is in the house unless its shielded i am told, NOT a good or necessary thing along with most JUNK in modern cars IMO

 

[twouvakind]

The Cuban government at it again

 

[Snagglefoot]

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by benjy
TOOOO much technology in todays vehicles, plain + simple!! keyless entry cars can be started by others even when the key is in the house unless its shielded i am told, NOT a good or necessary thing along with most JUNK in modern cars IMO




Maybe we should return to hand cranked motors?

 

[Shannow]

 

[Garak]

Many moons ago, this would be 1991 I'm guessing, there was a convenience store in a strip mall; store is no longer there. If a taxi driver (i.e. me at the time) clicked the mic for any reason within close proximity to that store, as in, say, parked in front of it, it would knock out their till system until tech support came and fixed it. It was the only store of any sort in the city where that sort of thing would happen.

 

[Astro14]

It's EMI. Broad band noise jamming of the signal. There's a radar, or TV tower, or unshielded electrical equipment, or something simple that is creating all the EMI...

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by Astro14
It's EMI. Broad band noise jamming of the signal. There's a radar, or TV tower, or unshielded electrical equipment, or something simple that is creating all the EMI...


Yup, this.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I'm not saying there is a flying saucer under the asphalt, BUT THERE'S A FLYING SAUCER UNDER THE ASPHALT!

 

[Uphill_Both_Ways]

I always said that Mars Attacks should have been set in Carstairs, with the Co-op manager the leader of the free world.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Originally Posted by Uphill_Both_Ways
I always said that Mars Attacks should have been set in Carstairs, with the Co-op manager the leader of the free world.



Sort of like having a drama teacher as your leader!

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted by Astro14
It's EMI. Broad band noise jamming of the signal. There's a radar, or TV tower, or unshielded electrical equipment, or something simple that is creating all the EMI...



I agree.

 

[Uphill_Both_Ways]

Space aliens free to sue
for slander, libel as town
tames rogue remote starter

The interference was caused by a remote starter, though you'd have to read half the story to find out.

 

[supton]

Simple answer is not nearly as entertaining.

 

[Astro14]

Yep - EMI...noise jamming...

"After investigation it was determined that there was faulty consumer electronic equipment stuck in transmit mode in the area, which was causing the interference."

Sending out radio signals on the same frequency that effectively drowns out the other signals...

 

[Snagglefoot]

Dang.